Adjustable split-leaf switch terminal



2 Sheets-Sheet l I5| rI4 INVENTOR. R. J. PARKER ATTYS.

Jan. 1, 1963 R. J. PARKER ADJUSTABLE SPLIT-LEAF swTTcH TERMINAL Filed April 22, 1960 FIG.2.

Jan. 1, 1963l R. J. PARKER ADJUSTABLE SPLIT-LEAF SWITCH TERMINAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1960 r Il Il ATTYS.

tates tissent tice 3,071,660 ADJUSTABLE SPLIT-LEAF SWETCH TERMINAL Rudolph 3. Parker, 22 Ferndale Road, RFD. 4, Ellicott City, Md. Filed Apr. 22, 196i), Ser. No. 24,185 8 Claims. (521. 20d-11) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (i952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured :and used by or for the Goverment of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates broadly to the rotary electric switch arts and in its more speciic aspects it relates to rotary selective switches that can be adjusted from the non-shorting type to the -shorting type, where space saving is important, where it is highly desirable to provide a maximum number of distributor positions on each deck of the unit and where the necessity of changing a deck from non-shorting to shorting would involve many hours of labor.

The rotary selective switches in which the invention is designed are preferably of the type having from one to seven decks, one to six poles on each deck with approximately ve positions for each pole. It is possible to switch individual electric circuits on each pole of each deck so las to serve independent electrical circuits for performing the desired function in various electrical circuits.

The prior art discloses that switches may be of the shorting or non-shorting type that is; make-before-break, or break-beore-make, but it does not disclose a teaching of a switch having the versatility of applicants switch. For example, if in a six-deck, four-pole, five-position switch it is determined that the third-deck, second-pole position 3 and 4 should have been of the shorting type instead of the non-shorting type it now is necessary to unsolder all the connections on decks 3, 4, and'S, install la new deck of the required type, if available, and resolder all connections. The would require many dollars in man hours of labor. With applicants device the connection on position 3 is unsoldered, placed in the shorting position and resoldered using only a small fractionalL portion of the above in man hours of labor.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved rotary switch of the shorting or non-shorting type.

It is another tobject to provide an improved rotary switch of the type where any pole may be utilized as a shorting or non-shorting switch.

lt is still another object to provide a rotary switch in which any position of any pole may be adjusted to be shorting or non-shorting, as desired.

It is a still further object to provide a deck structure on which is mounted the maximum number of distributor contacts having one portion fixed and one portion adjustable with one or more wiper contacts which may be aligned through the rotary wiper with one or more of the distributor contacts or electrically separated therefrom.

In overcoming the aforementioned and other inherent objections in prior art switches the present invention provides a deck structure made of ceramic, Bakelite or a laminated material having excellent insulating qualities and being easily `shaped and assembled. Each deci: is so constructed that it provides an electrically insulated base ply on which the three piece contacts are recessed and permanently held thereon in such `a manner as to provide a good contact pressure at the end of the contact thereby making a good electrical connection when the wiper arm is inserted therebetween. By adjusting the split portions on the top ofk each contact all the switches in every deck may be utilized thereby eliminating many decks now used by the prior art because of the necessity of having a shorting or non-shorting contact.

Providing a split contact on the top portion raised a problem of providing a good electrical connection between the stationary and movable portions of the contact. This problem was solved by utilizing a single rivet to interconnect the top and bottom portion of the contact, in addition, the soldered connection to the distribution circuit is made connecting the stationary and movable portion of the contact thereby providing la good electrical contact on either portion of the contact and giving additional rigidity to the flexible portion of -the contact.

The foregoing and other objects, the advantages and novel features of this invention itself both as to its organization and mode of operation may be best understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a six-deck, fourpole rotary selective switch;

FIG. 2 is a view in end elevation of the rotary selective switch illustrated in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a View partly in section of the deck in FIG. l taken along lines 3 3;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the top split portion of the switch contacts used in the switch illustrated in FIG. 3

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views of FIG. 3 'taken along lines 5-5 and 6-6 respectively; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are alternative species utilizing a different type of split contact.

In the accompanying drawings and particularly in FlG. l thereof is illustrated a six-deck, four-pole, two-position rotary selective switch embodying the structural and operational principles of the invention. While a sir'.- deck unit is illustrated it is to be understood that switches from one to twenty-five decks may be provided and the operation of Such switches will be the same.

Referring now to FIG. 1 wherein 11 indicates the shaft generally including a non-circular portion 12 and a circular portion not shown. The shaft extends through a threaded bushing 14 and is held in position by a `C. ring, not shown, which is pressed in a groove formed in the shaft. An operating knob 16 is fixed on the end portion of the shaft by `a set screw 19. A metal deck t7 is attached to the threaded bushing 14 below the mounting hub 18. The switch may be mounted by placing hub 1S against a stationary member 15 and by tightening loc.- ing nut and locking washer Zit. The metal deck has a lip member 21 with a hole therein which is filled by ball 22. The ball presses against a uniformly indented disk 2-3 by spring member 24 and holds the switch in the desired position. The six ceramic decks 25 are aligned on bolts 26 with spacer blocks 27 maintaining a uniform distance between them. The decks 25 are held in place by nut 28.

Referring now to FIG. 2 which is a bottom view of deck 25. The bottom portion of contact 29 is held secure to the deck by rivet 3i). The four collector ring poles, not shown, are riveted to non-metallic washer 31 through non-conductive rotor disk 32 by means of rivets 33.

Referring now to FIG. 3 wherein each collector ring pole 13 has a wiper arm 34 for making contact with distribution contacts 35. The disk is held in place by the four feeder contacts 36 and non-metallic washer 31 as shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 5 taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 3 which is a detail view partly in section of deck 25, split contacts 37 and 38 are recessed in the ceramic material and connected to the recessed lower contact by rivet 30.

Referring to PEG. 4, there is shown thereon a connector portion 4@ of contact 37 which is vertical to the remaining portion of the contact as viewed on the drawing and having a slight curvature and a horizontal slot 41 medially located therein. The movable contact 38 is rotatable about rivet 36. The connector portion 42 of contact portion 38 has a vertical slot 43 and moves along the curvature of the stationary connector 4t). The distribution circuit is inserted in the two holes 41 and 43 and soldered. If it becomes necessary to make the contact shorting or non-shorting the solder is heated and by means of adjustment tab 44 the adjustable connector is moved to the correct position and resoldered.

The rotary switch is prevented from over-travel by tabs, not shown, on disk 23. With the switch unit assembled as illustrated in FIG. l the non-circular portion of the operating shaft will extend through the non-circular apertures 46 in non-conductive rotor disks 32 so that upon rotation of operating knob 16 with resultant rotation of shaft 11 the indented disk 23 and rotor d-isk 32 will be rotated. During this rotation the wiper arm 34 makes contact with distribution contacts 35 and the ball 22 rides over projections and will snap into the indented portion of disk 23 to maintain the switch in the selected position.

FIG. 7 illustrates a rotary switch having barrel-like contacts 47-48 which are the break before make type when closed. The wiper arm is made of laminated copper material 49 and makes contact across the top of the barrels. In order to provide a make-before-break type of contact one half of the barrel contact is rotated open by screw 5t). Connector 51 is made of spring-like material permanently connected to each half of the barrel and urging the two halves together. The screw separator has a washer end portion 52 which is inserted in a slot 53 in the other half of the Contact for positively opening and closing the moveable portion of the contact 47 as guided by guide member 54. The wiper arm has a rounded edge so that it will not be blocked by the edge of the contacts.

FIG. 8 discloses another form of applicants invention where the split contacts are held in a plastic O ring 55. One portion of the contact 56 is held stationary, the other half 57 being moveable. Movement of the moveable contact into a relieved portion S8 opens the contact in the open position and makes the contact a make-beforebreak as described above.

The terms horizontally and vertically as employed herein may be defined as viewed on FIG. l of the drawings.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A rotary electric switch comprising a rotor of insulating material having a non-circular aperture, shaft means insertable in said aperture for turning said rotor, at least one collector ring pole attached at said rotor and having at least one wiper arm contact, a stator having a central aperture, and a plurality of distribution contacts fixed to said stator and extending into said aperture, said distribution contacts having an adjustable means for making said contact selectively either make-before-break or break-before-rnake, said rotor operatively mounted in said aperture and having at least one feeder contact making electrical contact with said collector ring pole and selected distribution contact.

2. A rotary electric switch comprising at least one ceramic stator having a central aperture, said stator having indented portions on the front portion thereof, at least two electrical distribution contacts fitted and held in said indented portions and extending into said aperture, a portion on each of said contacts being moveable, at least one collector ring pole with at least one wiper arm, a rotor of insulating material mounted in said stator aperture with said collector ring pole mounted thereon and being rotatable in said aperture, at least one feeder contact located on said stator and continuously in electrical contact with said collector ring pole and with the selected distribution contacts, said moveable portion on each of said distribution contacts selectively making said contact shorting or non-shorting with respect to the Wiper arm.

3. A rotary electric switch comprising a stator of insulating material having a central aperture, a plurality of barrel-like distribution connectors partially recessed in said stator, said distribution connectors being split in half and normally non-shorting, each half of said distribution connectors being urged together by a spring-like solder connector which is permanently connected to each half, means for rotating said split contacts to an opened position, rotor means operatively located in said central aperture and having a feeder contact attached thereto, collector ring pole means having a laminated wiper arm for electrically connecting said feeder contact with a selected distribution contact, whereby when said screw means is utilized for opening said barrel contacts the contacts become normally shorting as the wiper arm passes from the opened split contact to the adjacent Contact.

4. A rotary electric switch `comprising a deck having a central aperture, a plurality of distributor contacts recessed in said deck and being normally non-shorting, at least one feeder contact fixed to said deck and continuously electrically connected to a pole collector ring, said distributor contacts having at least two parts, at least one part of which is stationary and one part of which is movable, an insulated rotor, at least one pole collector ring and wiper arm mounted on said rotor, said rotor having a non-circular hole medially located therein with a shaft extending therethrough, said rotor mounted in said deck aperture and operable by said shaft for electrically connecting said feeder contact with a selected distributor contact through said collector ring and wiper, means located on said moveable contact part for moving the contact to an open position thereby making the open contact and the adjacent contact of the shorting type as the wiper arm makes contact therewith.

5. An electric switch as recited in claim 4 wherein the distributor contact has a vertical solder connector on the stationary part and the moveable part, said vertical connectors each having an elongated slot horizontally and vertically respectively whereby the electrical distribution circuit may be soldered therein for maintaining the contact selectively in either the shorting or non-shorting position.

6. A rotary electric switch comprising a rotor of insulating material having an aperture therein, shaft means insertable in said aperture for turning said rotor, at least one feeder ring pole with a wiper arm contact attached to said rotor, a stator having a central aperture, a plurality of distribution contacts mounted on said stator in such a manner as to make contact with the wiper arm in successive order, means on each said plurality of distribution contacts for making and maintaining each of said plurality of contacts selectively either make-before-break or break-before-make, at least one feeder contact making electrical contact with said collector ring pole and selected distribution contacts.

7. The electrical switch of claim 6 wherein the means on each of said distribution contacts for making the contact either make-before-break or break-before-make consists of distribution contacts that `are substantially barrelshaped, each of said barrel-shaped contacts being split in half, spring means urging each half of the barrel contact together, means for selectively spreading each of said barrel contacts whereby a make-before-break electrical connection is made with an adjacent contact as the wiper selectively `be made shorting or non-shorting with an arm Contact moves thereacross. adjaent Contact- 8. The electrical switch of claim 6 wherein the means t on each 0f the plurality of distribution for providing for References Cited m the fue of thls patent selectively making the Contact make-before-break or 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS break-before-make consists of contacts that are substan- 1,702,035 Berthold Feb 12, 1929 tially elongated having a rst portion and -a second por- 2,503,885 Nygren Apr. 11 1950 tion, said iirst portion being substantially stationary, said 2,551,930 Klay July 24, 1951 second portion having two parts, one part 'being su-b- 2,777,907 Hooker Jan. 15,11957 stantially stationary with respect to the first portion, the lo 2,876,314 Jackson Mar. 3, 1959 second part being movable whereby the Contact may 2,900,462 'Thomas et al. Aug. 18, 1959 

1. A ROTARY ELECTRIC SWITCH COMPRISING A ROTOR OF INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING A NON-CIRCULAR APERTURE, SHAFT MEANS INSERTABLE IN SAID APERTURE FOR TURNING SAID ROTOR, AT LEAST ONE COLLECTOR RING POLE ATTACHED AT SAID ROTOR AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE WIPER ARM CONTACT, A STATOR HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE, AND A PLURALITY OF DISTRIBUTION CONTACTS FIXED TO SAID STATOR AND EXTENDING INTO SAID APERTURE, SAID DISTRI- 